Uzbekistan is a state in Central Asia, one of the former republics of the Soviet Union. The country has a fairly developed railway network. In our article we will talk about the history of development and the current state of the railways of Uzbekistan. In addition, you will learn about the features and types of passenger trains running in this exotic Central Asian country.
Railways of Uzbekistan: general information
The Republic of Uzbekistan is located in Central Asia, between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. From west to east, it stretches for more than 1400 kilometers. The natural and climatic conditions of this country can hardly be called favorable: most of its territory is of little use for human life.
Significant seasonal temperature fluctuations, difficult terrain and an abundance of deserts significantly complicate the process of developing Uzbek land and creatingany transport infrastructure. Nevertheless, in terms of the total length of railways, Uzbekistan ranks 37th in the world and 5th in the post-Soviet space (after Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus).
The National Railways of Uzbekistan (Uzbekiston Temir Yollari JSC) is an autonomous railway company that has been operating since 1994. Today, it controls about 7,000 kilometers of railways in the country, as well as the Tashkent metro system. In total, the company employs over 70 thousand workers.
The charter of the railway of the Republic of Uzbekistan (adopted in October 2008) is in force in the country. This document lists the rights and obligations of the enterprise and passengers, regulates the procedure for drawing up various contracts, defines the key rules for freight and passenger transportation.
Historical background
The railway came to Uzbekistan relatively late - only in the late 1880s. It all started with the laying of the Trans-Caspian railway, which was of extremely important strategic importance for the Russian Empire. A quarter of its length falls on the territory of modern Uzbekistan.
The first train crossed the current borders of an independent state in 1888. And only ten years later the railway was laid to its capital. Curiously, it was in Tashkent that the administration of the entire Central Asian Railway was located during the Soviet era. It was from here that the work of the railway networks of all Central Asian Sovietrepublics.
A new impetus in the development of the railway network of this country came, oddly enough, in the period after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Thus, in the period from 1993 to 2017, 19 new railway lines were built on the territory of Uzbekistan. Among them is a high-speed railway with a length of 780 kilometers, connecting the largest cities of the country - Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Karshi and Navoi.
Map of railways of the republic
The total length of the railways of Uzbekistan, as of 2018, exceeds 7 thousand kilometers. Of these, about 2500 km are electrified. The constant renewal of tracks and the purchase of modern rolling stock allow electric locomotives to reach quite an impressive speed (up to 150 km/h).
If you look at the map of the country's railways (see below), you can see that the greatest density of the network is typical for the southern and eastern regions of the republic. After all, it is here that the main part of the population of Uzbekistan is concentrated. At the same time, the busiest passenger traffic is observed on the segment "Tashkent - Samarkand". No less intense train traffic is typical for the Tashkent-Bukhara and Samarkand-Bukhara routes.
The largest railway junctions in Uzbekistan are cities such as Tashkent, Samarkand, Navoi, Termez, Nukus and Andijan.
Rolling stock
JSC "Uzbekiston temir yullari" has a fairly decent fleet of passenger trains,making dozens of flights daily. Among them, in addition to the old Soviet compositions:
- Afrosiab high-speed express trains.
- Shark brand express trains.
- Nasaf Electric Trains.
- Branded night trains (cars equipped with berths).
- Afsona tourist trains (run irregularly).
Comfortable and high-speed trains "Sharq" and "Afrosiab" connect the main cities of the country, carrying out regular flights to Bukhara and Samarkand from Tashkent. The pride of the republic's transport system is the Spanish-made Afrosiab electric trains, capable of speeds up to 250 km/h. One such train includes nine passenger cars and is designed to carry 257 people. The Afrosiab Express covers the journey from Tashkent to Samarkand in just two hours.
Railway transport in Uzbekistan: features and interesting facts
Uzbekistan railway tickets look exactly the same as Russian Railways tickets. The only difference is that the forms are decorated with the national Uzbek pattern. All inscriptions are duplicated in Russian, which is very convenient for travelers. A train ticket in Uzbekistan can be purchased at the box office at the stations, as well as via the Internet. As for the fare, it is not so great. So, a ticket for a seated fast train from Tashkent to Samarkand costs from 95 thousand sums (from 750 rubles).
A few words should be said about the security system. Largerailway stations in Uzbekistan in this regard resemble airports: each of them is equipped with several checkpoints and check-in counters. Passengers' belongings must be passed through scanners. Passenger check-in ends 30 minutes before the train departure. That is, you need to arrive at the station at least an hour earlier in order to go through all the procedures and inspections.
